The Love Thieves
by coldqueen
Summary: Claire takes a walk with the man of her dreams and discovers a few things. AUNOT CESTY PAIRE


A/N: This is PAIRE...but not incest. AU from no specific episode. Claire comes to New York to help Peter stop the explosion in New York. Instead of Nathan being her daddy, Claude is, problem is Claude has already run from Peter 'cause Bennet and Haitian showed up. So...Peter is trying to explain to Claire about her father.

Title is a song by Depeche Mode. REALLY good song that always kinda reminds me of this pair...lol...get is? PairPAIRE. HA!

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**The Love Thieves**

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It was nighttime in New York, and with the lights of Time Square far away, Claire walked down a quiet street with a veritable stranger. Not just any stranger, but a certain stranger who'd been partly the reason she'd come here. Between his long brown hair, and those dark brown eyes, how could she resist the allure of Peter Petrelli?

"I'm sorry he wasn't there, Claire. Maybe we can try again tomorrow?"

Claire shook herself from thoughts of a lusty nature and smiled at Peter. "It's okay. I know I've been taking you away from your important stuff. You don't have to keep trying to find him for me, Peter."

Peter watched as her brilliant one-in-a-million smile dimmed a bit and resisted the urge to run his hand over her cheek just to see it brighten again. "It's no bother, really. We're kind of stuck for the moment. Future Hiro said if I saved you, I saved the world, but it's not shaking down that way."

Claire nodded, her smile completely gone now. "Maybe it wasn't me you were supposed to save?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Hiro said 'Save the cheerleader, save the world'. Jackie still died. Maybe she was the cheerleader you were supposed to save?" Claire asked, still not quite sure how prophetic mottos and pictures worked.

"No, I don't think that's it," Peter replied quickly.

"Why not?"

He grinned at her. "You feel important."

"I feel important?" She asked incredulous, pushing a stray strand of golden hair behind her ear, watching as his eyes followed the movement before sliding down the curve of her face and coming back to look into her eyes.

"Yeah. Come on, how many indestructible cheerleaders are floating around in the world?"

"We'd have to ask Mohinder, but..." She laughed. "I'm thinking one."

Peter joined in on her laughter and they walked in silence for a few more minutes. The sides of their bodies brushed together every few seconds, but neither could find it in them to care. It was oddly peaceful in this part of New York, almost other-worldly when compared to the frantic noise and light of Downtown. They weren't far from the motel where Claire was staying and had opted to walk instead of taking a cab the few blocks between here and Isaac's place.

Peter had wanted to insist she stay with him, but they'd both decided that wouldn't be too appropriate or wise. With his brother Nathan running for political office, Peter was a bit too in the limelight for Claire to be seen with. Her adoptive father might not be looking for her, but someone still was. Two someones if you counted Sylar.

"It's a beautiful night," Claire said softly, wondering if it was her imagination or was Peter walking closer to her?

Peter smiled. "Beautiful," he replied but he wasn't looking at the sky.

It was odd, between them, this tension. It wasn't so much that she was too young for him. It was more that she the light to his dark. More and more lately he'd found his thoughts spirally down murderous paths only to stop when he thought of her. If he took a wrong step with her, Peter worried she wouldn't be his angel anymore.

So understand what a big step it is that on that street, in the dark, Peter Petrelli reached out and took Claire Bennet's hand as they walked.

Her smile was shy but bright as ever. For a few seconds, she forgot the stress of the past week. Running from her father's bosses, seeking out her birthfather, meeting Peter again and learning that she wouldn't get to accomplish the very thing she'd come here to do...all of it just faded away...

For a few seconds, she was just a girl.

Walking on the street with a boy.

Falling in love with a boy.

Then a figure separated itself from the shadows so near, and slipped a knife under her throat. It was more instinctual fear than actual fear that had her freezing.

"Give me all your money or the girl dies!" The figure demanded, still shrouded in shadow.

Claire wasn't sure whether to laugh or to cry.

The mugger was of no real threat, she could heal any injury he caused, but the look on Peter's face was lethal. He glared at the man who held her, reaching slowly for his pocket. "Look, here's my wallet, just take it and go."

Claire opened her mouth, ready to tell him that it wasn't worth it, the man couldn't really hurt her, but the criminal already had Peter's wallet and was reaching for her purse. She gasped as he pulled it down her arm, jerking her against the knife in the process.

No matter how quickly she healed, it always still hurt. She just learned to ignore it most of the time. Peter jerked at the sound of her intake of breath, already reaching for her as the mugger took off. She fell into his arms, grateful for his presence but not really hurt at all. "Peter?"

He was glaring down the street at the quickly fleeing mugger and with a flick of his fingers, he used telekinesis to send the man flying into the wall where he slid down and didn't get up.

"Peter?" She asked again, her arms around his waist as she stared into his face.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but why did you give him your wallet? He couldn't hurt me."

Peter sighed. "I know...I just...I don't like seeing you hurt at all." He rubbed at the small spot of blood that was all that remained of the nick the knife had caused her. "Plus, I don't really think having a mugger running around talking of the indestructible girl is low-key."

Claire smiled, then frowned. The thought occurred to her, _Did he do it because he cared for me, or because he didn't want anyone to know about me?_

Peter smiled and brushed a kiss against her forehead, "It's because I care."

"Did you just read my thoughts?"

"Yep."

"That's creepy."

"Says the indestructible cheerleader."

Claire punched him in the arm. "Go get my purse."

"Yes, ma'am."

Peter started to jog down the sidewalk to retrieve their things from the unconscious mugger, making note to flag down a cop when they got back on a main street, but he stopped just feet away.

Turning back, he grasped Claire's arms, pulling her closer unexpectedly. Though the strength in his arms was hard, his lips were soft as they brushed against her's. They touched only a second, but they froze in that position, eyes on eyes, breath mingling they suddenly had to struggle to breathe.

"What was that for?"

"So you never question my motives again."

Claire nodded, releasing a sigh as he turned to get her bag and his wallet. "Don't think that's gonna be a problem."

He grinned as she laughed.

Good thing they were already heading for a motel.


End file.
